Sante Spa – Bigger and Better! — Reviewed!

Our favourite Sante Spa, the health food cafe, has moved to a bigger place but in the same lane no.1, Koregaon Park. Apart from the aesthetic, elegant, classy decor, sophisticated seating, private cabana, the helpful staff and some scrumptious additions to the menu make it a must-visit place in Pune. A big beautiful Gautam Buddha painting on the wall is tranquil. The upscale environment very well compliments the unique healthy dishes.

Though, I have tried a few dishes from the menu but was excited to try the new additions. Some of the dishes I tried were...

• Vegan Turmeric Coco Latte (5/5)
• Pineapple Spinach and Black Salt (5/5)
• Assorted Bread Basket and hand-churned butter (5/5)
• The Moroccan Black and White Hommus (4.5/5)
• Beetroot and Spinach Hommus (5/5)
• Galouti of Black Beans (4.5/5)
• Crunchy Mushroom Dimsums (4.5/5)
• Crunchy Chlorophyll Dimsums on Red Curry (5/5)
• Quinoa Sushi Rolls (4.5/5)
• Pizza Verde (4.5/5)
• Sourdough Pizza A La Groque (4/5)
• Cherry Berry Burst Smoothie Bowl (4.5/5)
• Crunchy Fig and Date Smoothie Bowl (4.5/5)
• Valrhona Tart (5/5)
• Organic Ajmer Gulkand Cheesecake Slab (4.5/5)
• Almond Muesli Ice-cream (4.5/5)

Started our meal with the super delicious, healthy and vegan turmeric coco latte. Coconut milk-based drink had a perfect blend of coco and turmeric. Must try! Refreshing mint, healthy spinach and pineapple drink was equally good.

For the munching, one can order the signature dish Beetroot and Spinach Hommus with delicious, crunchy multigrain chips. Another variation in hummus is the activated charcoal and chilli spiked Black Hommus with loads of olives, peppers, smashed corn, and sundried tomatoes. Scoop it and devour until the next dish arrives. Loved this.

Ghee-rich, Gluten-free black lentils kebabs beautifully placed over bite-sized khakhra served with broccoli chutney, spiced tomato pulp and a fibre-rich side salad. Crisp khakras and soft, medium spiced, protein-rich kebabs are a great appetizer.



Asian-food lovers must try the coconut curry based Crunchy Chlorophyll Dim sums on Red Curry. Gluten-free green dim sums over subtle-spiced red coconut curry was a treat to the taste buds. Highly Recommended! So colorful and extremely scrumptious.



Perfect on a rainy day, the warm Crunchy Mushroom Dim sums are soul-satisfying. Translucent cover with tasty mushroom filling tastes best by dunking in chilli oil. Must try!

Sushi rolls are anyways healthy but the "Sante" twist to the roll was the quinoa-based sushi. Fresh, crunchy, packed with veggies and superfood quinoa makes this sushi rolls a delight.



Healthy Pizzas are not a myth anymore! At Sante Spa, it is very much possible. We started with Pizza Verde – Stone grilled ragi base topped with zucchini, spinach, broccoli, pesto and arugula leaves. All greens. Pretty, healthy and delish. Another one we tried was Sourdough Pizza A La Groque. A bit on the sweeter side, it also had ragi and whole wheat base topped with sundried tomatoes, peppers, cheese and caramelised onions. My personal favourite had to be green! :)

Smoothie Bowls are worth trying. If you love fruit-based healthy bowl then go for the Cherry Berry Burst Smoothie and if you like fiber-rich dish, then Dates and Fig Smoothie is a good choice. I loved both of them. Dry-fruits add to the crunch. Please note, it is not a meal-replacement dish.

Luscious Valrhona chocolate in the tart was sinful. Chocolate lovers should try it. Fresh, light, unique guilt-free dessert to die for was the Gulkand Cheesecake Slab. If you like Indian dessert with a twist, this cheesecake is recommended. You can also try variants of ice-cream amongst which Almond Muesli one is superb if you like nutty flavour.

I am sure, you would need a vegan cappuccino after the filling and satisfying meal. 

Enjoy some of the few pictures....

Cinco – Attracting your five senses! — Reviewed!

Newly opened Cinco, translates to 5 in Spanish, at The Mills, is a stylish resto-bar with tasteful, elegant, interiors. The seating areas are different as per the dining preferences — Contemporary, modern Patisserie, European-theme based open-air Al Fresco and voguish, vibrant pub.

Ample parking is available.

The menu is the blend of European and Indian cuisine which can be paired with unique cocktails and mocktails to elevate your spirits. With the limited choice for vegetarians in appetizers, I found Veg Chimichanga, Mezze Platter and Coin Paranthas quite interesting. Mains also have some eye-catching dishes like Fettucini in curried Coconut sauce, Wild Mushroom Tortellini, Vegetable Couscous with chickpea curry to name a few. We tried the following dishes....

• Spicy Tomato Soup (3/5)
• Fenugreek Salad (3.5/5)
• Mezze Platter (4/5)
• Mangalore Ghee Roast Mushrooms over Coin Parantha (4.5/5)
• Cottage Cheese Rosttii with Caponata (4/5)
• Raw Banana Croquettes (3/5)
• Crispy Potato, Caramelized Onion and Feta Pizza (3/5)
• Hazelnut Torte (4.5/5)
• Black Sesame Cake with Lemon cream (4/5)

Monsoon days and soups are a perfect match made in heaven. We had Spicy Tomato Soup in two orders and surprisingly both tasted different with garlic overpowering in one. Mild spicy because of the bare minimum use of jalapenos. It was thick and creamy though. I wish the consistency of the taste remained the same.



Decent looking Fenugreek Salad was served next. It was power-packed with carrot ribbons, greens, coconut, and tamarind coulis. Overall a balanced salad but I would have preferred Quinoa Salad or House Salad over it.



A nice Mediterranean wholesome, colorful Mezze Platter with delicious, crispy falafel, soft and fresh pita bread, muhammara and pickled veggies. A fulfilling and scrumptious dish. Loved it.

One of my most favourite dishes of the meal was the Mangalore Ghee Roast Mushrooms over Coin Paranthas. First bite and the ghee and whole spices are quite evident. A bit spicy but totally worthy. Loved every bit of it. Highly Recommended!



We also tried Cottage Cheese Rosti with Caponata. Crispy, layered cottage cheese rosti was cooked beautifully and a vegetarian feast to be reckoned with. Crunchy crust, medium-spiced, sweet, savoury caponata (chopped, fried eggplant and veggies dish) and crispy leeks not only added the texture but elevated the taste. Must try!



Raw Banana Croquettes on the menu caught my attention. It is healthy, full of nutrition and satisfying savoury snack. Cylindrical-shaped tikkis were thickly crumb-coating minimizing the taste of banana. The crust was overpowering the filling however teaming it up with the chilli-vinegar gave it a nice taste.



Another unique dish from the menu was Crispy Potato, Caramelized Onion, and Feta Pizza. Least I would have imagined potato chips over a pizza! Thin-crust, wood-fired pizza was generously topped with cheese, caramalized onions and potato wafers. A good attempt there. The baking time differed with the other toppings and the wafers burnt at some places. I would rather suggest adding thinly sliced potatoes than wafers. But, kudos to the unique idea.



All is well that ends well. The Hazelnut Torte was pure bliss. Insanely buttery, chocolatey dessert with a rich caramel layer was soul-satisfying. If you love chocolate, this decadent torte is a must-order.

Black Sesame Cake was a surprise! The cake was soft, moist, nutty topped with a crispy sesame tuile and served with vanilla icecream. Very unique and delicious.



Overall, a nice place. Some teetering issues here and there on service because of the initial stage. I am sure it will improve with time. Cinco is also planning to start breakfast soon, which is a very smart move since currently, no one around is serving in that area. Wishing them all the success.